I am a first time poster though I've been following the discussions for a long time. I first saw Red Sox at Fenway against Baltimore in 1974. The home town team lost, but I was hooked. 1975 was when I truly fell in love with Fenway and the team. I saw the exhilarating arrival of Lynn, Rice and Burleson over thirty games, all of them from the bleachers, a few rows above the RS pen - a location which also allowed for true appreciation of the Evans' magic in right field. With several regulars in the bleachers, it was quite a party atmosphere with the fans exchanging small talk with the players in the bullpen, and even birthday celebrations for players. While RS did not deliver a World Series title for another 29 years, the thrills and joy provided by the 1975 RS team made me a life-long fan! Posted by RS75

I know that there are fans out there who love non-hometown or regional teams. Not sure why.

I have to believe in my heart of hearts that this is where the fandom for most of us come from for the most part.

Boston Red Sox. I mean, if you were born and raised in Boston or even in the N.E. area and are a fan of baseball, how could you not cheer for this team? Not sure how CT. fans choose being right in the middle.

Obviously baseball fans from areas where there is no professional team anywhere near them may choose an allegience in their youth because of a certain player. Or you also may become a fan because a family member was an ardent fan or because a pro team has a minor league team in the area.

Which is why those like Frank from Gloucester confuse me. How can you be a Yankee fan and Celtics fan? It just doesn't make sense, at least in my feeble mind.

I know that there are fans out there who love non-hometown or regional teams. Not sure why. I have to believe in my heart of hearts that this is where the fandom for most of us come from for the most part. Boston Red Sox . I mean, if you were born and raised in Boston or even in the N.E. area and are a fan of baseball, how could you not cheer for this team? Not sure how CT. fans choose being right in the middle. Obviously baseball fans from areas where there is no professional team anywhere near them may choose an allegience in their youth because of a certain player. Or you also may become a fan because a family member was an ardent fan or because a pro team has a minor league team in the area. Which is why those like Frank from Gloucester confuse me. How can you be a Yankee fan and Celtics fan? It just doesn't make sense, at least in my feeble mind.Posted by jesseyeric

For me it was whatever teams I saw most on TV as a kid. It was a four hour drive to see a professional sports team in person.

I honestly don't know. I was born in raised in Virginia, so I have no geographical attachment. My first favorite baseball team was the Pirates of the early '70s ... still consider Clemente my favorite player ever. But in '78, of all years, I gravitated toward the Sox. Even after that heartbreak, or maybe because of it, I never let go. Figured since I was with the Sox I should root for the Celtics, too, and I've been with them ever since along with the Bruins. (Never got into the Pats, for some reason). Everyone I meet now asks if I'm from there.

born in boston. raised in chelsea. back then if you wanted to play little league you had to try out and be evaluated. I made the team as an outfielder and I was 11 years old at that time. my team was the red sox. I asked for #9 and got it. even though I am a righty I can still remember thinking to myself as I got up to bat, and now batting for the boston red sox, number 9 ted williams......and the rest is as they say..... history.

I've followed the Red Sox since the 1967 season, "The Impossible Dream". I remember buying the record when it first came out. My father grew up following Ted Williams and Dom Dimaggio. There were the heartaches of the 67. 75. and 86 World Series losses. How can you forget if old enough Pudge Fisk hitting that game winning HR to force i to a 7th game against the Reds. Being 1 strike away from winning it in 86 only to see the ball go between Bill Buckner's legs. The infamous HR hit by Bucky Dent in 78 to win that 1 game playoff in which the REd Sox blowing a sizeable lead. There was 04 and 07 breaking that stupid curse and beating the Yankees in 4 straight to win the world series. I could go on and on.

Lloyd - why do you think you gravatated towards the Sox? Was there a certain player that you attached your fandom to?

I remember as a kid being a big fan of Tony C. The rivalry was pretty much non-existant in those days and I know I rooted for the 67 Sox team in the W.S. But my allegience to NY during the season never waivered.

As I got older and into my teens, especially now that they were creating divisions caused me to dislike any team that was in the as NY. Sometimes I wonder if baseball wouldn't be better if they still just had AL and NL, no divisions and just wild cards based on actual record. I guess that wouldn't make TV happy.

I know that there are fans out there who love non-hometown or regional teams. Not sure why. I have to believe in my heart of hearts that this is where the fandom for most of us come from for the most part. Boston Red Sox . I mean, if you were born and raised in Boston or even in the N.E. area and are a fan of baseball, how could you not cheer for this team? Not sure how CT. fans choose being right in the middle. Obviously baseball fans from areas where there is no professional team anywhere near them may choose an allegience in their youth because of a certain player. Or you also may become a fan because a family member was an ardent fan or because a pro team has a minor league team in the area. Which is why those like Frank from Gloucester confuse me. How can you be a Yankee fan and Celtics fan? It just doesn't make sense, at least in my feeble mind.Posted by jesseyeric

Thank you so much for shining a light on this nonsense. It's called "bandwagon jumping". Shocking, he likes the two winningest teams in their respective sports...I bet he likes the Canadiens as well. Born and raised in Cambridge, moved to CT in 05, the number of Yankee/Pats fans is sickening. How can you cheer those two teams on when the Pats started a "Yankees s u c k!" chant at their original championship celebration? It's extremely disigenuous.

I'm always proud to wear my Pats or Sox hat. I wore the Pats hat after losing to the Giants in 07, I wear it without pause regardless of getting bounced by the lowly Jets. I wore my Sox hat all offseason, listening to obnoxious Yankee fans all over Hartford mock me...and then go oddly silent after Gonzalez and Crawford came aboard. A day after the steelers LOST this past SB, I say a fan wearing his hat and sweatshirt at a store...I was compelled to stop him, and thank him for being a true fan even though I do not like anything about the current Steelers.

I can not tell you how sudden the explosion of Giants apparel after 07, or Jets apparel lately has been. I don't mean to paint with a broad brush, but NYers seem to be extremely fair weather. Sox fans are here through the good and bad. Yankee fans increase tenforld during the bad...and you pretty much stand alone during the Sox good.

It's easy to like a team when things are going well, you find out who the real fans are when someone can proudly wear his Sox hat and take the hits when they are 2-9.

I was born into this. My father, his aunts...it goes back the the 20s in my family. I know no other way, nor would I want one.

For a more team driven reason...as a kid, celebrating my birthday watching a game, "the Gator" came to the plate and the organ started blaring "Happy Birthday". If I wasn't hooked before, I was after realizing one of my already favorite players shared a birthday with me as an 8 year old. Consequently, he should have won the MVP that year, Canseco took it, and he came in second. Just one more test of faith from the baseball gods I suppose, the 80s were so good, and so bad for the Sox.

I know that there are fans out there who love non-hometown or regional teams. Not sure why. I have to believe in my heart of hearts that this is where the fandom for most of us come from for the most part. Boston Red Sox . I mean, if you were born and raised in Boston or even in the N.E. area and are a fan of baseball, how could you not cheer for this team? Not sure how CT. fans choose being right in the middle. Obviously baseball fans from areas where there is no professional team anywhere near them may choose an allegience in their youth because of a certain player. Or you also may become a fan because a family member was an ardent fan or because a pro team has a minor league team in the area. Which is why those like Frank from Gloucester confuse me. How can you be a Yankee fan and Celtics fan? It just doesn't make sense, at least in my feeble mind.Posted by jesseyeric

Jess- I know it doesn't make sense. But: I work with this dude Roy. Seriously the biggest Yankee fan I have ever met personally. Roy wears Spankee gear every single day, I'd venture to say he goes to at least half the home games, talks Yankees all day, and plays old games on tv down in the mailroom all day. Dude is Yankee crazy. he and i are good friends (he comes to me to guage the temp in the Nation). Get this: He is nuts about the Celtics. He and his boys road trip up to boston some days to catch games at the Garden. Crazy right? He said it stemmed from a sort of East Coast/hardcore mentality back in the 80s when he hated the glitzy showtime Lakers. So, there is no figuring this stuff.

Jessey: Good question, and the answer is Dwight Evans. As I said earlier, Clemente was (and remains) my favorite player. Evans was never in his league, of course -- only a handful are, IMO. But he was a right fielder with a cannon for a right arm who went all out on every play.

I loved his eye black, his mustache, even that odd batting stance. I loved his approach to the game and only wish more of today's players were like him.

Thank you so much for shining a light on this nonsense. It's called "bandwagon jumping". Shocking, he likes the two winningest teams in their respective sports...I bet he likes the Canadiens as well. Born and raised in Cambridge, moved to CT in 05, the number of Yankee/Pats fans is sickening. How can you cheer those two teams on when the Pats started a "Yankees s u c k!" chant at their original championship celebration? It's extremely disigenuous

I/my family have been season ticket holders to the pats since the days when they played at fenway park. I must respectfully disagree with you saying that "the Pats" started a yankees suck chant. I was at that celebration. it was a bunch of no class obnoxious azzclowns that had too much to drink that did that.

and honestly, do you think that the poster that calls himself frgl27rings is really the genuine frank from gloucester??? the real frank calls the big show from a phone booth using quarters for cripes sake. this guy is just a particularly bad impersonator of the real Frank.

In Response to Re: Why do you love the Red Sox? : Thank you so much for shining a light on this nonsense. It's called "bandwagon jumping". Shocking, he likes the two winningest teams in their respective sports...I bet he likes the Canadiens as well. Born and raised in Cambridge, moved to CT in 05, the number of Yankee/Pats fans is sickening. How can you cheer those two teams on when the Pats started a "Yankees s u c k!" chant at their original championship celebration? It's extremely disigenuous. I'm always proud to wear my Pats or Sox hat. I wore the Pats hat after losing to the Giants in 07, I wear it without pause regardless of getting bounced by the lowly Jets. I wore my Sox hat all offseason, listening to obnoxious Yankee fans all over Hartford mock me...and then go oddly silent after Gonzalez and Crawford came aboard. A day after the steelers LOST this past SB, I say a fan wearing his hat and sweatshirt at a store...I was compelled to stop him, and thank him for being a true fan even though I do not like anything about the current Steelers. I can not tell you how sudden the explosion of Giants apparel after 07, or Jets apparel lately has been. I don't mean to paint with a broad brush, but NYers seem to be extremely fair weather. Sox fans are here through the good and bad. Yankee fans increase tenforld during the bad...and you pretty much stand alone during the Sox good. It's easy to like a team when things are going well, you find out who the real fans are when someone can proudly wear his Sox hat and take the hits when they are 2-9. I was born into this. My father, his aunts...it goes back the the 20s in my family. I know no other way, nor would I want one.Posted by ma6dragon9

I would somewhat disagree with this statement. NY (metro area) just happens to have multiple teams in the 4 great professional sports. And there are a ton of fans who are city/regional fans more than anything else.

I am a Yankee, Jets, Rangers and Knicks fan. And I dislike the Giants and Mets. But if the Giants are playing any team in the AFC East, I am rooting for the Giants. If the Mets are playing anyone in the AL East, I am rooting for the Mets. Knicks and Nets play in the same division - so as far as head to head competition goes as it relates to the standing, I want everyone to beat the Nets. But when the Nets were in those finals, I certainly was going to root for them over the Western Division finalist. For me, I do like to root for teams in my area.

So i guess you can say that when it comes to the region I live in, I do jump on a local teams bandwagon once a championship is up for grabs, but that is only if I really care. And the reality is that I couldn't care less one way or another if the Devils or Nets were playing for a title.

As I mentioned earlier, I live in Virginia. I couldn't believe the number of Red Sox fans who appeared out of nowhere after the '04 World Series. Folks who at gunpoint couldn't tell you from which side of the plate Ted Williams batted or what number he wore. I suspect this was true across the country.

That's the silver lining, if such a thing exists, regarding seasons like this. You see who the true fans are, and who came aboard with the crowd in '04.

We love the red sox because they epitomize the essence of redneck culture. Youk and Beckett look like they come right out of hicksville central. And the sox fans are a joke with their religious fervor. Baseball is baseball, not church. There is no best until the WS is over. The Giants are the world champions because they outpitched everybody they played last year. So enjoy LOVING your team. Lots of people love losers. I hope the another teams wins this year, like the A's, or the Brewers.Posted by jeanmean

They were the local team, and they stunk in 1965(62-100) so I didn't jump on any bandwagon. Loved the uniform,(still do) hated pinstripe uniforms. My first game was June 12, 1965. Loved Fenway, still do. My grandfather was a season ticket holder through the 50's. My dad was a Red Sox and a Yankee fan because of his love for Joe D. As I started to like beasball the Sox became no.1 for him also. Moved to Philly in 1971. I could have jumped on the Phillies badwagon in the late 70's but I stayed loyal. And yes Yankee fans got on my nerves for bragging about all their success. I wasn't anti New York because I rooted for the Giants in the NFL. It's in your blood and passed down like Glen Ordway said in "The curse of the Bambino"

good discussion topic carnie. great responses and can relate to all of them in some way. Hammah and LMR i'm very sorry for your loss. I hope being here with other red sox fans helps in some way.Posted by J-BAY

thanks J-Bay for your very kind words. our mutual friend jetes told me all about you. and your right, being here with my fellow sox fans does help. Jetes has my e-mail address if you ever wanna chat off line.

In Response to Re: Why do you love the Red Sox? : thanks J-Bay for your very kind words. our mutual friend jetes told me all about you. and your right, being here with my fellow sox fans does help. Jetes has my e-mail address if you ever wanna chat off line. thanks again Hamm!Posted by Hammah29r2

hope facing the first season without him isnt too hard for you Hammah. glad you got to experience the two championships with him. my dad passed away a month before the sox won it all in '04. sharing it with him is the only thing that could have made it better.

Thank you so much for shining a light on this nonsense. It's called "bandwagon jumping". Shocking, he likes the two winningest teams in their respective sports...I bet he likes the Canadiens as well. Born and raised in Cambridge, moved to CT in 05, the number of Yankee/Pats fans is sickening. How can you cheer those two teams on when the Pats started a "Yankees s u c k!" chant at their original championship celebration? It's extremely disigenuous I/my family have been season ticket holders to the pats since the days when they played at fenway park. I must respectfully disagree with you saying that "the Pats" started a yankees suck chant. I was at that celebration. it was a bunch of no class obnoxious azzclowns that had too much to drink that did that. and honestly, do you think that the poster that calls himself frgl27rings is really the genuine frank from gloucester??? the real frank calls the big show from a phone booth using quarters for cripes sake. this guy is just a particularly bad impersonator of the real Frank. Posted by Hammah29r2

I disagree. There were many in Mass when I was growing up who were Red Sox and NY Giant fans(and still are today) in football We rooted for the Pats because they were local but they were in the inferior AFL. After the merger in 1970 most had to choose and stopped rooting for both is what I believed happen. (I chose the Pats.)There are many in Connecticut who are Celtic and Yankee fans. If you followed the SI 50 state poll in 2004 you see that Connecticut was 42 % Yankee 35% Red Sox and 15 % Mets give or take. The Celtics and Giants had the bigger numbers then the Yanks or Red Sox. The Jets had bigger numbers in Conn. then the Mets also.